A US passenger jet and an army helicopter collided mid-air before plunging into the Potomac River near Washington, leaving no immediate signs of survivors.
The American Airlines PSA RJ700, carrying 60 passengers and four crew, was on approach to Reagan National Airport when it smashed into a Black Hawk chopper from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, around 9:47 p.m. Wednesday. The aircraft burst into flames before crashing into the icy waters.
BODIES PULLED FROM RIVER
Rescue teams have recovered multiple bodies, but officials have yet to confirm a final death toll. Helicopters, police divers, and emergency boats are still searching for survivors, though hopes are fading fast.
All flights at Reagan airport were grounded, with authorities saying operations won’t resume until at least Friday afternoon.
TRUMP DEMANDS ANSWERS
President Donald Trump slammed the tragedy, questioning how air traffic control failed to prevent the collision.
“The plane was on a perfect approach. The chopper was heading toward it for a LONG time. Why didn’t it climb, descend, or turn?” he raged on Truth Social. “THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. NOT GOOD!!!”
Distraught families gathered at the airport, desperate for news. One woman, in tears, told an official, “I don’t even know if she got on the plane.”
The FBI has joined the investigation, with human error and mechanical failure both considered possible causes.
More than 300 emergency workers are battling freezing conditions in a desperate race to recover bodies as America reels from its worst air disaster in years.
